HIDALGO, Texas – Hidalgo Economic Development Corporation wants to develop a seven-mile hike and bike trail that extends to an existing trail in McAllen and a river walk similar to that in San Antonio.
The ambitious plans were outlined during a recent webinar by Priciliano (J.R.) Treviño, executive director of Hidalgo EDC. The virtual Commercial and Investment Tour of Hidalgo was hosted by the Rio Grande Valley Partnership.
During the webinar, Treviño listed the land and properties available for development in his city. Some are privately owned, some are city owned. With regard to the EDC’s big quality of life project, Treviño said:
“This is a great development property. This is a property owned by the City of Hidalgo behind the historic Pump House Museum. This is one of the prime locations where the irrigation systems started. It is surrounded by our historic district, by our 1880 Hidalgo County Courthouse – the original courthouse for the county, the original jail house and the original post office. It is in a nice tourist type of development attraction.”
Treviño said the property covers 30 acres of land and water, with approximately 14.5 acres of land that can be developed adjacent to the old pump house and historic district.
“It even has some 4.7 acres along the river,” Treviño explained. “This has great potential for a boardwalk, some restaurants, some shops, do some paddle boarding there, bike trails. We already have a bike trail that runs from the pump house all the way to Military.”
Treviño said Hidalgo EDC is currently working with Hidalgo County Commissioner Eddie Cantu to extend the city’s bike trail from Military Highway all the way to 2nd Street in McAllen. He said he hoped the City of McAllen would get involved in the project.
“It would be a seven mile run or seven mile bike ride all the way to the pump house. It would be a great potential opportunity for a developer that wants a good… maybe even a 100-year lease or 50 year lease on the property if they come in and develop this whole property into a boardwalk, or river walk. We can have our own River Walk down here, you would not have to go all the way to San Antonio,” Treviño chuckled. “It is a great piece of property.”
Editor’s Note: The main image accompanying the above news story and podcast features the historic Hidalgo Pump House beside the Rio Grande River.
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